Apparatus for treating strip and the like



Dec. 23, 195s A. J. SARKA 2,865,450

APPARATUS FOB TREATING STRIP AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 9, 1954 4Sheets-Sheet 1 FI G 2 INVENTOR. ALBERT J. SARKA BY @jm/Zay /f ((9%) FIG.60.

FIG .60.

FIG.6B.

FIG .6A.

Dec. 23, 1958 A. J. SARKA APPARATUS FOR TREATING STRIP AND THE LIKEFiled Dec. 9, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN ALBERT J. RmxA Dec. 23', 1958A. J. SARKA 2,865,450

APPARATUS FOR TREATING STRIP AND THE: LIKE Filed Deo.l 9, 1954 4Sheets-Sheet 3 ze N I w cu I I r I I I T T I 1 (1 l I FIG 8 FIG .77.

` INVENTOR Dec. 23, 1958 A. J. SARKA APPARATUS PoR TREATING sTRTP ANDTRR LIRE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Dec. 9, 1954 JNVENTOR.

mm om BERT J SARKA Vgn" Zw/fg T W f iow United States Patent @fidele A2,865,450 Patented Dec. 23,

APPARATUS FOR TREATIN G STRIP AND THE LIKE Albert J. Sarita, MapleHeights, Ohio, assignor to Wean Equipment Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio,a corporation of @bio Application December 9, 1954, Serial No. 474,250

18 Claims. (Cl. 164-49) This invention relates to apparatus for treatingmoving material in strip-like form Without interrupting the movement ofthe material. For purposes of explanation and illustration the inventionwill be described as embodied in a punch press, although it may besimilarly embodied in a flying shear, a stamping machine or similarstrip treating mechanisms.

It has been one of the great problems in high-speed strip production totreat the strip, e. g., cut it into lengths, to stamp indicia upon it,to punch or otherwise form it or to otherwise treat the strip at xedintervals as it is being processed at high speeds. The usual and wellknown methods of treating strip are not satisfactory for treatinghigh-speed strip for the reason that the strip tends to pile up at thetreating machine, is torn or otherwise damaged or the spacing isinaccurate. There have been many and varied machines proposed fortreating such strip, but in every case these devices are subject to thedisadvantages of complex design, high cost, excessive spacerequirements, need for highly -skilled operating personnel and mostimportant very definite limitations as to accuracy and operating speed.

The strip treating mechanism of the present invention provides a simplesolution to the aforementioned problems and to the disadvantages of theprior art equipment, The mechanism of this invention may be used forshearing, contour cutting, stamping, pressing or otherwise treating arapidly moving strip. In this application, however, it will bespecifically described as embodied in a punch press for punching rapidlymoving strip material. The invention provides a continuously operablemeans feeding strip material and the like in a path, means on thecontinuously operable means whereby a portion of the strip may be drawnunder tension through the continuously operable means at a rate of speedin excess of the speed of said continuously operable means and thenreturned through the continuously operable means to the relativeposition it would have had had no withdrawal been effected, and meansreceiving the strip from the continuously operable means intermittentlyacting on the strip and moving the strip at a rate of speed in excess ofthe rate of feed whereby the strip is drawn intermittently under tensionthrough the continuously operable means at a rate in excess of the rateof feed.

Preferably there is provided a continuously operable means feeding`strip material and the like in a path, means on the continuouslyoperable means whereby a portion of the strip may be drawn under tensionthrough the continuously operable means at a rate of speed in excess ofthe speed of said continuously operable means and then returned throughthe continuously operable means to the relative position it would havehad had no withdrawal been effected, a first member lfor acting on thestrip and the like mounted to operate in a circular` path at aperipheral speed in excess of the rate of feed, a portion of whichcircular path lies substantially in the first mentioned path, a guideextending generally transversely of the first mentioned path mounted tomove with the first member, a second member for acting on the strip andthe like mounted to reciprocate in the guide and move generally in thedirection of the first mentioned path generally in unison with the firstmember and to move lsubstantially into the first mentioned pathsubstantialliy simultaneously with the first member to engage the stripand the like between said first and second members whereby the strip ismoved with said members during a portion of their movement and is drawnunder tension through the feeding means at a speed in excess of the rateof feed. Preferably the continuously operable feeding means includes apair of pinch rolls driven from a variable speed drive through a maindrive gear mounted on the shaft of one pinch roll. Preferably the maindrive gear is freely rotatable on the pinch roll shaft and the shaft isprovided with a fixed arm adjacent the main drive gear and lying in aparallel plane which arm is engaged by a pin on the main drive gearextending parallel to' the axis of the pinch roll shaft. Resilient meanssuch as a spring connects the pin and arm to hold them normally incontact. The first member acting on the strip is preferably mounted in afloating frame surrounding the path of strip travel and mounted onspaced apart eccentric cams. These cams are identical in size and shapeand rotate about parallel axes in the same direction so that all pointson the frame describe a circle of identical size during each revolutionof the cam-s. The second member is preferably mounted in guides on theframe on the side of the strip opposite the first member and pivoted toan arm rotatable on a fixed axis opposite the first member so that thesecond member is caused to reciprocate in the guideways while it moveswith the frame as the frame revolves about its cams.

Mean-s may be provided on the first and second members for receivinginterchangeable platens so that the punch press as described herein maybe converted to a shear, a stamping machine or other strip treatingmechanism simply by changing the platens. Preferably this isaccomplished by providing platen holders with cooperating indexing meansin each member.

Certain features, advantages and objects of this invention have beenoutlined above. Other features, advantages and objects will be apparentfrom a consideration of the following description and the accompanyingdrawings, in which- A Figure l is a side elevational view of a punchpress according to my invention;

Figure 2 is an elevational view of the discharge end of the punch pressof Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevational View of the press of Figure l lookingfrom the right of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a top plan View of the press of Figure l;

Figure 5 is a vertical section on the line V-V of Figure 2;

Figures 6A, 6B, 6C and 6D are vertical sectional views through thefioating frame and illustrate diagrammatically the sequence of motion ofthe floating frame and press members thereon during a single cycle.

Figure 7 is an enlarged elevational view of the pinch roll drive gearwheel used in the embodiment shown in Figure l;

Figure 8 is an enlarged section on the line VIII-VIII of Figure 7; and

Figures 9A, 9B, 9C and 9D show a second embodiment of this inventionpermitting the treating of multiple lengths. p

Referring to the drawings there is illustrated a housing 10 having abase 1i and side members 12. A .pair of parallel shafts 13 and 14 arejournaled for' rotation adjacent the top and bottom of `the side members12,`verti"lV cally one above the other. Each of these shafts is providedwith eccentric cams adjacent the side members 12. A floating frame madeup of side frames 16 mounted for rotation on the camsf15 and spacermembers (not shown) is provided between the side members 12 of thehousing. A top press die 1'7 is fixed between the side frames 16 belowthe upper shaft 13 to travel with the side frames. Each side frame 16 isprovided with a vertical slot 13 within which a lower press die 19 isvertically reciprocable. The lower press die 19 is pivotally mounted onthe end of vertical arms 20 which are in turn pivoted on the lower shaft14- alongside the eccentric cams 15. The two shafts 13 and 14 are drivenby a motor 21 acting through a drive pinion 22 and identical gears 23 onthe shafts 13 and 14.

A pair of pinch rolls 2d and 25 are provided within the housing sidemembers 12 adjacent the floating frame to continuously feed strip on apath through the frame. The lower pinch roll 24 is journaled in the sidemembers 12. A gear wheel 26 is freely rotatable on the end of the lowerpinch roll 24 and is driven by a variable speed gear drive 27 of the PIVor equivalent known type from a gear 28 on the lower shaft 1d. The gearwheel is provided adjacent its outer periphery with a lug 26a whichextends axially outwardly therefrom to lie in the path of an arm 2613fixed on the lower pinch roll 24. The outer extremity of the arm 26h isprovided with a spring 26C which connects to the gear wheel 26 -tendingto normally hold the arm 2619 against the lug 26a. The upper pinch rollis journaled in lever arms 29 pivotally mounted on the side members 12above the bottom pinch roll 2d. Outwardly extending arms 30 are fixed tothe side members 12 above the lever arms 29 and parallel thereto.Suspended from each arm 30 is a screw jack 31 bearing against a spring32 which in turn bears upon the free end of the corresponding lever arm29. By adjusting the position of the screw jack 31, the pressure on thelever arm 29 and thereby the pressure between the pinch rolls may bevaried. The lower pinch roll 24 is provided with a gear 33 which drivesthe upper pinch roll 25 through a gear 34.

A set of rollers 36 in the form of a roller leveler may be provided inadvance of the pinch rolls to level the strip leaving the uncoiler 37and align it with the roll nip. The operation of the punch pressdescribed above will be perhaps best explained by reference to Figure land the diagrammatic showing of Figures 6A through 6D. The strip 38 tobe treated leaves the uncoiler 37 and passes through the roller leveler36 into the nip between the pinch rolls 24 and 25. The strip is fed bythe pinch rolls at a constant rate of speed through between the sideframes 16 of the floating frame and between the upper die 17 and lowerdie 19. As the motor drives shafts 13 and 14 the eccentric cams 15 carrythe side frames 16 of the floating frame in a circle about the twoshafts as illustrated in Figures 6A through 6D at a peripheral speed inexcess of the rate of strip feed by the pinch rolls 24 and 25. This inturn carries the upper die 17 through a circle identical with that ofthe frame and below the shaft 13. At the same time the lower die 19 ismoved reciprocally in the slot 18 and back and forth horizontally withthe iioating frame, thereby following an arcuate path (see Figures 6Athrough 6D). Both the upper die 17 and the lower die 19 move with thesame speed as the frame and in excess of the rate of speed of the stripfed by the pinch rolls so that when the strip is engaged between them asat position 6C they exert a tension on the strip, pulling it throughbetween them. The pinch rolls are accordingly moved at a rate of speedgreater than their normal speed of feed. When this occurs the arm 26b iscarried away from the lug 26a on the gear wheel 26 against the tensionof :the spring. As the dies 17 and 19 release the strip (position 6D)the spring 26C acts to retard the rotation of the pinch roll and toreturn the arrn 26h to its position against the pin or lug 26a. This inturn causes the strip to be fed back through the pinch rolls until thepinch roll resumes its normal position with respect to the drive gearwheel 26. In this way a constant amount of strip material is handled ateach revolution of the floating frame and differences in speed betweenthe rotation of the frame and pinch roll feed are compensated forwithout causing variations in the length of strip treated.

In the punch press described above, an impression can be madeconsistently within a given length. ln order to permit variations inlength of multiples of the basic length., a modified form of structuremay be used. ln this modification, the drive, the housing, the eccentriccams and the floating frame structure remain the same. The lower platenis still reciprocable in slots 51 identical with those of Figures lthrough 5. However, the lower platen 5t) is pivoted on the endsof arms52 which surround the lower shaft 14a out of contact with it. The arms52 are pivoted on eccentric cams 53 mounted on a separate shaft 54. Theeccentric cams are connected through a shaft 55 to a double actingsolenoid 56 which acts to rotate them about the shaft 54 and therebyraise and lower the pivotal axis of the arms 52. By lowering the pivotalaxis of the arms 52 the lower platen is caused to follow an arcuate pathslightly below the path of travel of the strip so that its travel neverintersects the path of the upper platen 5'7. This is illustrated inFigures 9A through 9C. When the pivotal axis of the arms 52 is raisedthe operation of the two platens is as described in connection withFigures 6A through 6D. This action is specifically illustrated inFigures 9A through 9D.

ln order to permit the ready interchange of platens 50 and 57, a lowerplaten holder 58 may be provided for reciprocation in the slots 51 tocarry the platen 50. The platen holder 58 may be provided with anindexing guide 59 such as a slot to receive an indexing member (it),such as a depending shoulder fitting in slot S9, on the platen 50. Asimilar indexing guide and indexing member may be provided on the upperplaten holder and platen. By using platen holders, variousinterchangeable platens such as punches, shear blades, stamps and thelike may be substituted for the die platens 50 and 57 as shown in thedrawings.

While certain preferred embodiments of this invention have beenillustrated and described it will be understood that the invention maybe otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for treating rapidly moving,strip and the like comprisingcontinuously operable means feeding strip and the like in a path,tension means on the con tinuously operable means whereby a portion ofthe strip may be drawn under tension through the continuously operablemeans at a rate of speed in excess of the speed of said continuouslyoperable means and then returned through the continuously operable meansto the relative position it would have had had no withdrawal beeneffected, a first member for acting on the strip and the like mounted tooperate in a circular path at a peripheral speed in excess of the rateof feed, a portion of which circular path lies substantially in thefirst mentioned path. a guide extending generally transversely of thefirst mentioned path mounted to move with the first member, a secondmember for acting on the strip and the like mounted to reciprocate inthe guide and means causing the second member to reciprocate in theguide and move generally in the direction of the first mentioned pathgenerally in unison with the first member and to move substantially intothe first mentioned path substantially simultaneously with the rstmember to engage the strip and the like between said first and secondmembers whereby the strip is moved with said members during a portion oftheir movement and is drawn under tension through the feeding means at aspeed in excess of the rate of feed.

2. Apparatus for treating rapidly moving strip and the like comprisingcontinuously operable means feeding strip and the like in a path, meanso n the continuously operable means whereby a portion of the strip maybe drawn under tension at spaced intervals through the continuouslyoperable means at a rate of speed in excess of the continuously operablemeans and then retarded until the strip assumes the same relativeposition it would have had had no withdrawal been effected, a firstmember for acting on the strip and the like mounted to operate in acircular path at a peripheral speed in excess of the rate of feed, aportion of which circular path lies substantially in the first mentionedpath, a guide extending generally transversely of the first mentionedpath mounted to move with the first member, a second member for actingon the strip and the like mounted to reciprocate in the guide and meanscausing the second mem-ber to reciprocate in the guide and movegenerally in the direction of the first mentioned path generally inunison with the first member and to move substantially into the firstmentioned path substantially simultaneously with the first member toengage the strip and the like between said first and second memberswhereby the strip is moved with said members during a portion of theirmovement and is drawn under tension through the feeding means at a speedin excess of the rate of feed.

3. Apparatus for treating rapidly moving strip and the `like comprisingcontinuously operable means feeding strip and the like in a path, meanson the continuously operable means whereby a portion of the strip may-bedrawn under tension at spaced intervals through said continuouslyoperable means at a rate of speed in excess of the continuously operablemeans and then retarded until the strip assumes the same relativeposition it would have had had no withdrawal been effected, a firstmember for acting on the strip or the like mounted to operate in acircular path a portion of which lies substantially in the firstmentioned path, a guide extending generally transversely of the firstmentioned path mounted to move with the first member, eccentric drivemeans actuating said first member to operate in said circular path, asecond member for acting on the strip and the like mounted toreciprocate in the guide and means causing the second member toreciprocate in the guide and move generally in the direction of thefirst mentioned path generally in unison with the first member and tomove substantially into the first mentioned path substantiallysimultaneously with the first member to engage the strip and the likebetween said first and second members whereby the strip is moved withsaid members during a portion of their movement and is drawn undertension through the feeding means at a speed in excess of the rate offeed.

4. Apparatus for treating rapidly moving strip and the like comprisingcontinuously operable means feeding strip and the like, means on thecontinuously operable means whereby a portion of the strip may be drawnunder tension at spaced intervals through the continuously operablemeans at a rate of speed in excess of the continuously operable meansand then retarded until the strip assumes the same relative position itwould have had had no withdrawal been effected, an eccentrically drivenfloating frame surrounding the path of travel on the exit side of thefeeding means all points of which frame move in a circular path, a firstmember for acting on the strip or the like, said first member beingmounted on said frame on one side of the path of strip travel andadapted to pass on the first mentioned path during a portion of itsmovement with the frame, a second member for acting on the stripreciprocably movable in said frame transverse to the path of travelV ofthe strip and means causing the second member to reciprocate in theframe and move generally in unison with the first member and to movesubstantially into the path of strip travel substantially simultaneouslywith the rst member to engage the strip and the like between said firstand second members whereby the strip is moved with said members Llllduring a portion of their movement and is drawn under tension throughthe feeding means at a speed in excess of the rate of feed.

5. A strip treating machine for treating rapidly moving strip comprisingcontinuously operable means feeding strip material in a path, aneccentrically driven fioating frame surrounding the path of strip travelon the exit end of the feeding means all points of which frame move in acircle whose radius equals the throw of the eccentric drive, a firstmember on said frame on one side of the path of strip travel, guidewayson the floating frame transverse to the path of strip travel and spacedfrom the first member, a second member reciprocally movable in saidguideways on the opposite side of the path of strip travel from thefirst member, a pair of arms pivoted on an axis spaced at the oppositeside of the path of strip travel from the first member, said armspivotally engaging the second member causing it to reciprocate in theguideways and move generally into the path of strip travel`simultaneously with the first member to engage the strip between thefirst andi second member whereby the strip is moved with said members,drive means driving the floating frame, connections from said drivemeans to the continuously operable means, said connection continuouslydriving a freely rotatable drive gear on the continuously operablemeans, drive means fixed on the continuously operable means engageableby said drive gear to drive the continuously operable 'means in onedirection and tension means connecting the drive gear and drive meanstending to maintain the drive means in engagement with the drive gearwhile permitting said drive means intermittently to rotate in thefeeding direction at a speed greater than the rotational speed of thedrive gear.

6. A strip treating machine as claimed in claim 5 wherein the pair ofarms are pivotally mounted on eccentric cams and means are provided forrotating said eccentric cams within the arms to vary their pivotal axiswhereby the second member is raised and lowered into and out of positionto intersect the path of strip travel.

7. Apparatus fo-r treating rapidly moving strip and the like comprisingmeans for continuously feeding the strip material in a path, `tensionmeans in the continuously operable means whereby the strip may overrunthe feed at spaced intervals and be immediately thereafter returned tothe relative position it would have had had no overrun been effected, afloating frame surrounding the path of strip travel on the exit side ofthe feeding means, spaced rotary cam means acting on the frame to causeit to move in a circle whose radius is the: length of throw of theeccentric, drive means simultaneously driving the feeding means and thecam means, a first member fixed to said frame on one side of the path ofstrip travel, guide means on the frame on the side opposite the path ofstrip travel from the first member and transverse thereto, a secondmember movable in said guide means, connecting means holding the secondmember spaced adjacent the path of strip travel and causing the secondmeans to reciprocate in the guide means and move generally in thedirection of strip travel in unison with the first member to engage thestrip and carry it between said members while being acted on during aportion of their movement whereby the strip is drawn through thecontinuously operable means at a speed in excess of the normal rate offeed, said connecting means pivoted about an axis spaced from the pathof strip travel, means in the connecting means for varying the pivotalaxis thereof to raise and lower the second member to and away from thepath of strip travel and means for rotating the cam means to raise andlower said second member.

8. Apparatus for treating rapidly moving strip and the like comprisingcontinuously operable means feeding stripand the like in a path, a firstmember for acting on the strip `and the like mounted to operate in acircular path a portion of which lies substantially in the firstmentioned path, a guide extending generally transversely of the firstmentioned path mounted to move with the first member, a second memberfor acting on the strip and the like mounted -to reciprocate .intheguide, means causing the second member to reciprocate in the guide andmove generally in the direction of the first mentioned path generally inunison with the rst member and to move substantially into the firstmentioned path substantially simultaneously with the first member toengage and act upon the strip whereby the strip is moved with themembers during a portion of their movement,l drive means driving thefirst member, and connections from said drive means to the continuouslyoperable means, said connection continuously driving-a freely rotatabledrive gear on the continuously operable means, drive means on thecontinuously operable means engageable by said drive gear to drive thecontinuously operable means in one direction and tension meansconnecting the drive gear and drive means tending to maintain the drivemeans in engagement with the drive gear while permitting said drivemeans intermittently to rotate in the feeding direction at a speedgreater than the rotational speed of the drive gear.

9. Apparatus for treating rapidly moving strip as claimed in claim 8wherein the drive gear is provided with a pin .extending out of theplane of the gear and the drive means is an arm extending radiallyoutwardly parallel to the drive gear in the path of the pin on the drivegear.

l0. Apparatus for treating rapidly movingv strip as claimed in claim 8wherein the continuously operable means includes a pair of pinch rolls,a drive gear freely rotatable on one of said pinch rolls and providedwith a pin projecting out of the plane of the gear and the drive meansis an arm fixed to the pinch roll carrying the drive gear, said armextending radially outwardly parallel to and adjacent the drive gear andin the path of the pin on the drive gear.

ll. Apparatus for treating rapidly moving strip and the like co-mprisingcontinuously operable means feeding strip and the like in a path,tension means on the continuously operable means whereby a portion ofthe strip may be drawn under tension through the continuously operablemeans at a rate of speed in excess of the speed of said continuouslyoperable means and then returned through the continuously operable meansto the position it would have had had no withdrawal been effected, andmeans receiving the strip from the continuously operable meansintermittently acting on -said strip and moving said strip at a rate ofspeed in excess of the rate of feed whereby the strip is drawnintermittently under tension through the continuously operable means ata rate in excess of the rate of feed.

l2. Apparatus for treating rapidly moving strip and the like comprisingcontinuously operable means feeding strip and the like in a path, meansreceiving the strip and the like from the continuously operable meansintermittently acting on the strip and moving said strip at a rate ofspeed in excess of the rate of feed, drive means driving the meansacting on the strip and connections from said drive means to thecontinuously operable means, said connections continuously driving afreely rotatable drive gear on the continuously operable means, drivemeans on the continuously operable means engageable by said drive gearto drive the continuously operable means in one direction and tensionmeans connecting the drive gear and drive means tending to maintain thedrive means in engagement with the drive gear while permitting saiddrive means intermittently to rotate in the feeding direction at a speedgreater than the rotational speed of the drive gear.

13. Apparatus for treating rapidly moving strip as claimed in claim 12wherein the drive gear is provided with a pin extending out of the planeof thefgear and the drive means is an arm extending radially outwardly 8parallel to the drive gear in the path of the pin on the drive gear.

14. Apparatus for treating rapidly moving strip as claimed in claim l2wherein the continuously operable means includes a pair of pinch rolls,a drive gear freely rotatable on one of said pinch rolls and providedwith a pin projecting out of the plane of the gear and the drive meansis an arm fixed to the pinch roll carrying the drive gear, said armextending radially outwardly parallel to and adjacent the drive gear andin the path of the pin on the drive gear.

l5. In apparatus for treating rapidly moving strip and the like havingmeans intermittently acting on the strip and moving the strip in a pathand drive means driving the means acting on the strip, a continuouslyoperable means feeding strip and the like on said path to the meansacting on the strip and connections from the drive means to thecontinuously operable means, said connections continuously driving afreely rotatable drive gear on the continuously operable means, drivemeans on the continuously operable means engageable by said drive gearto drive the continuously operable means in one direction and tensionmeans connecting the drive gear and drive means tending to maintain thedrive means in engagement with the drive gear while permitting saiddrive means intermittently to rotate in the feeding direction at avspeed greater than the rotational speed of the drive gear.

16. Apparatus for treating rapidly moving strip as claimed in claim l5wherein the drive gear is provided with a pin extending out of the planeof the gear and the drive means is an arm extending radially outwardlyparallel to the drive gear in the path of the pin on the drive gear.

17. Apparatus for treating rapidly moving strip as claimed in claim 1Swherein the continuously operable means includes a pair of pinch rolls,a drive gear freely rotatable on one of said pinch rolls and providedwith a pin projecting out of the plane of the gear andthe drive means isan arm fixed to the pinch roll carrying the drive gear, said armextending radially outwardly parallel to and adjacent the drive gear andin the path of the pin on the drive gear.

18. Apparatus for treating rapidly moving strip and the like comprisingcontinuously operable means feeding strip and the like in a path, meanson the continuously operable means whereby a portion of the strip may bedrawn under tension at spaced intervals through said continuouslyoperable means at a rate of speed in excess of the continuously operablemeans and then retarded until the strip assumes the same relativeposition it would have had had no withdrawal been effected, afirstmember for acting on the strip or the like mounted to operate in acircular path a portion of which lies substantially in the firstmentioned path, a guide extending generally transversely of the firstmentioned path mounted to move with the first member, eccentric drivemeans actuating said first member to'operate in said circular path, asecond member for acting on the strip and the like mounted toreciprocate in the guide, connecting means joined at one end to thesecond member causing the second member to reciprocate in the guide andmove generally in the direction of the first mentioned path generally inunison with the first member and to move substantially into the firstmentioned path substantially simultaneously with the first member toengage the strip and the like between said first and second memberswhereby the strip is moved with said members during a portion of theirmovementand is drawn under tension through the feeding means at a speedin excess of the rate of feed, said connecting means pivoted at theother end about an axis spaced from the path of strip travel and meansacting on the connecting means for varying the position of the pivotalaxis thereof to raise and lower the second member toward and away fromthe path of strip travel whereby the distance between the said rst andsecond members 1s selectively varied to control the intersection of thesecond member with the path of strip travel.

References Cited in the le of this patent 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS380,454 Morgan Apr. 3, 1888 10 Keyser Feb. 10, 1903 Trump May 26, 1931Morgan Dec. 20, 1949 Eaton Oct. 26, 1954 Hallden Feb. 14, 1956 FOREIGNPATENTS Germany Jan. 30, 1932

